Pottstown Shooting Linked To School Bullying Incidents, Mom Says

POTTSTOWN, PA — A recent shooting incident may have stemmed from bullying at a local middle school, the mother of one of the school's students says.

A Pottstown woman, whose oldest daughter attends Pottstown Middle School, said that around a dozen shots were fired into her house on the 500 block of West Street following a confrontation with school-aged kids outside.

Authorities confirmed an investigation into a shooting incident but no other details.

In a social media post detailing the experience, the girl's mother said the incident stems back at least six months when students began bullying the girl. The situation escalated to the point where she was attacked by multiple other girls after school, and several more fights ensued.

She later received death threats on Instagram, according to her mother.

The girl's mother tried to involve police and school administration to protect her daughter, who received a suspension from school for fighting back. But no further steps were taken; "It's an eighth grade thing," officials told the mother.

Threats continued, and things came to a head on Sunday night, March 24, at around 8 p.m.

The group of girls showed up outside of the family's home, the mother said, and a verbal confrontation ensued. Police were called to the scene and the girls left, but the mother said that about 10 minutes later, the shots were fired into the home.

An investigation is ongoing.

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

Do you have a story to tell? Are you concerned about how your local schools handle bullies and their victims?

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Earlier In This Series

• Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words
• America's Shameful Truth About School Shooters And Bullying
• Girl-To-Girl Bullying: Why It’s Different, Difficult To Confront
• Bully Upstander: Whatever He Said Caused Bullies To Back Down
• Bullying Caused 11-Year-Old To Attempt Suicide, Mother Says
• Bullied 10-Year-Old's Suicide 8th In School District This Year
• Girls More Likely Than Boys To See Bullying As Harmful: Study
• 13-Year-Old Hangs Herself, But Bullying Killed Her
• 3-Week Nightmare: How Bullying Pushed My Son To Run Away
• Teen Tells Bullies In Video: 'Every Day, I Wear Your Words'
• 'The Hero Myth': Why Expecting Kids To Fight Bullies Is Harmful
• 'Mr. Anti-Bully': Reformed Bully, 12, Sets Mistake Right
• Mallory Grossman Bullying Detailed In Wrongful Death Suit
• Malden Schools Were Non-Compliant Through Bullying Saga: DOE
• 'They All Failed And Changed A Child': Malden Bullying Detailed
• Mom Speaks About Bullying Heartbreak: 'I Feel I Failed Him'
• Why These Kindergartners Start Each Day With A Handshake
• The Bully Menace: 'The Hurt Never Goes Away'
• Bullies And Their Targets The Same: Digital Self-Harm Rising
• Boy, 6, Overcomes Bullying, Heart Condition To Spread Kindness
• Williamsburg Poetry Teacher Helps Bullied Kids Open Tortured Minds
• Bullying Tougher To Confront When It's Bias-Based: Researchers
• Bullied New Hampshire 5th Grader Makes Tearful Plea
• The Bully Menace: 13 Age-Appropriate Reads
• Teen's 'I Wear Your Words' Video Inspires Nashville Songwriters
• Bullying Caused 11-Year-Old To Attempt Suicide, Mother Says

From The Experts

• 'The Anti-Bully': Talk And, Especially, Listen To Your Kids
• The Bully Menace: Patch Experts Offer Tips To Parents
• Anti-Bully Experts Offer Tips On Sometimes Deadly Encounters
• Understanding The Bully: They're Often Victims, Too, Experts Say

What We've Learned

• The Bully Menace: What Patch Has Learned About Childhood Torture